Lost veteran Henry Ian Cusick is returning to ABC with a lead role on the network’s untitled Shonda Rhimes pilot. Katie Lowes (CW’s Easy Money) has also joined the project, which revolves around the life and work of professional fixer Olivia Price (Kerry Washington) and her dysfunctional staff. Innovative-repped Cusick will play what is considered by some the male lead on the show, a handsome, intense and brilliant litigator who works for Olivia. Cusick started off as a recurring on Lost, landing a guest starring Emmy nomination for his role as former Scottish solder Desmond Hume, before getting promoted to regular in Season 3 of the island drama. Lowes, repped by Innovative and Sweeney Management, will play an ambitious and naive young lawyer recruited by Olivia to work for her. Lowes guest starred in this season’s opener of Rhimes’ Private Practice.

My Boys co-star Kyle Howard has been tapped as the male lead in the ABC multi-camera comedy pilot Smothered, from Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen. The project centers on young couple Zack (Howard) and Gillian who find themselves smothered by their two very different sets of parents. Howard, who recently signed with UTA, played one of the leads in the pilot for NBC’s Perfect Couples but had to pull out after the pilot was picked up to series because of his commitment to TBS’ My Boys.

Scottie Thompson (Trauma, NCIS) haslanded one of the two leads in Ed Bernero’s pilot for ABC Partners, a cop drama centered on two female police detectives, Mattie (Thompson) and Jess, who are fiercely loyal to one another since they’re also secretly half-sisters.

14 Comments

Congrats to Katie Lowes!! What a cool cool girl!! This will be a star making role for her!

Kathy • on Feb 9, 2011 7:40 pm

YAY!!!! Sooo very excited Ian will be returning to TV!! Omg, can not wait!!! :)

Mark • on Feb 9, 2011 7:43 pm

nice, two more great choices for shonda and ABC, glad Cusick is back and Katie Lowes was very good in Easy Money, can’t wait for this show

Kat • on Feb 9, 2011 7:56 pm

Fantastic news for Ian!

Melody M • on Feb 9, 2011 7:59 pm

Yeah Ian Cusick!!! Can’t wait to see him on TV again.

Fiona • on Feb 9, 2011 8:05 pm

Guys like Kyle Howard and Josh Cooke and Kyle Bornheimer keep getting shows and I can’t for the life of me figure out why.

At this point I’m less likely to check out a show when I see them cast… again.

c4x • on Feb 10, 2011 9:52 am

Kyle Howard is adorable and charming. I have no explanation for the other two, especially Bornheimer, who I’ve mostly managed to avoid because I’m allergic to horrible sitcoms.

Joe Shines • on Feb 9, 2011 8:35 pm

Ian is fantastic. Well played. I might actually enjoy this.

jbdean • on Feb 9, 2011 9:32 pm

This is AWESOME news! Henry Ian Cusick back on TV in a regular, starring role! What great news to start off a new year!! Seems like Desmond was right and we will see him in another life, as a lawyer, Brotha! :D

Tülin • on Feb 9, 2011 10:34 pm

I want to see more.
Ian’s the TV

Joe B. • on Feb 10, 2011 8:17 am

“Howard, who recently signed with UTA, played one of the leads in the pilot for NBC’s Perfect Couples but had to pull out after the pilot was picked up to series because …”

…because it was the single-camera comedy equivalent to napalm. Good move, Kyle. Why isn’t it canceled yet?

Dana California • on Feb 10, 2011 9:31 am

I caught Kyle Howard mean mugging me once. I don’t what his deal is.

Joeben • on Feb 11, 2011 5:51 pm

Not a huge fan of Shonda Rhime but with Henry Ian Cusick!! Must watch this. Please be Scottish!